Haapsalu Episcopal Castle
Medieval bishop's stronghold with cathedral, watchtower and museum of the Osel-Wiek bishopric
Haapsalu Episcopal Castle was the seat of the bishops of Osel-Wiek, founded in the thirteenth century after the bishopric moved its centre to the Baltic coast. The complex grew from a fortified convent building with an attached cathedral into a walled compound of about three hectares, with a moat, outer bailey and a slender watchtower at the south-west corner. It was besieged repeatedly during the Livonian War and lost its military role in the seventeenth century, after which much of it fell into ruin.
The cathedral, the largest single-nave church in the Baltic region, has been restored and is used for concerts and services, while the curtain walls and ruined ranges are open to walk through. A museum installed in the restored castle building traces the bishopric and medieval Haapsalu through objects and interactive displays across two floors. The round baptistery window is linked to the legend of the White Lady, an apparition said to appear on the inner wall on August full-moon nights.
Highlights
- Single-nave cathedral, among the largest of its kind in the Baltic
- Curtain walls, moat and watchtower open to visitors
- Two-floor museum of the Osel-Wiek bishopric and medieval Haapsalu
- The baptistery window tied to the White Lady legend
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